Barrel bedding device for rifles



arch 18, 1952 1.. s. WELD 2,589,912

BARREL BEDDING DEVICE FOR RIFLES Filed Aug. 9, 1949 uwa/v TOR LfO/V 8, W21 0,

Patented Mar. 18, 31952 I UNITED STATES gPA'lENT OFFICE" EARREL' BEDDING DEVICE FOR RIFLES. Leon S. Weld, Rochester, N. Y. Application August'S, 1949, Serial No. 109,258

4 Claims. (Cl. 42-75) movement of the barrel when the stock is warped by seasonal weather changes and will also have a dampening sheet on vibrations of the barrel caused by firing of the rifle.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a means for adjusting the tension of the resilient means; and alocking means for se- "curing the device in the adjusted position so that firing of the rifle will not change the adjustment.

Still another object of the invention is to so mount the portion of the barrel near the forward end of the stock so that the barrel will rest on a resilient saddle and will not touch the said forward end of the stock at any point.

Still other objects and advantageswill become apparent from the following description of the present invention illustrated in theaccompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a preferred em bodiment'of the device showing itsposition'in the stock and the rifle barrel resting-thereon;

Figure 2 is aside elevation of the device shown in'Fig. 1 with a part of the stock broken away;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of a modifiedform of the device.

Similar reference characters represent similar parts in the several figures.

In the use of target rifles best accuracy. isobtained when thebarrel and receiver assembly are carefully fitted in the stock. The barrel should be so positioned so that it does not come in contact with the stock except at a point just back of the forward end thereof. In mounting the barrel in this manner a certain amountof upward pressure must be maintained against the barrel for best accuracy. This amount of pressure varies with the individual characteristics of 1 the barrel, and when fitting a stock it is not always known just what amount of'prossure required. Furthermore, the'pressure exerted will vary as the forward end of the stock warps slightly as seasons change and humidity varies.

Such a change mpressure causes a slightly different-point of impact of a bullet fired from the gun.

The present device is adapteditoeliminate any extreme variation in upward pressure; on the barrel and consequently promotes greater accuracy in target shooting. As an ancillary advantage the device affords a dampening effect onvibr'ations of the barrel caused by firing. In the use of my device the barrel does not touch the forward end of the stock but rests in a V-shaped saddle resiliently positioned in the device. It will be seen therefore that this-fact simplifies the rit t-ing of the stock to a marked degree.

In the preferred form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the device oomprisesa metallic sleeve or housing H] wh ch fits Within a vertical openin H in the forward end of the wooden stock [2. One end of the sleeve is provided with a peripheral outwardly extending flange l3 which is adapted to rest in arecess l4 adjacent the up.- per end of the vertical opening II. The other end of the sleeve has a reduced endrportion [5 which is provided with an internally. threaded aperture extending from the end of the reduced threaded to receive a complementary internally threaded dust cap I8, the outer diameter of which is the same. as sleeve iii. The head ofcap I3 is flanged and provided with an external slot [9 which is adapted to receive therein a screw driver or other similar tool. A further use of can 18 is to prevent movement of the sleeve. in the stock by means of the flange bearing against thewood. The dust cap also improves the generalappearance of the device- Sleeve 10 is adapted to receive therein a coil spring 20, one end of which liesagainst a metal disc 2! which rests in the seat 1?. The other end of the spring extends outwardly beyond the flanged end of sleeve H]. A V-shaped saddle 22 of plastic or other material has projecting down: wardly from a central portion thereof a stub shaft 23 which has a diameter slightly less than the internal diameter of coil spring 20 and is Also to be noted is the fact that no part of barrel 25 touches the hollowed-out portion of the stock.

The adjustment of thetensicnof bccoil sprin for applying a certain amount of pressure on the barrel is accomplished by an adjusting screw 26 and a locking screw 2'! which are inserted in the threaded aperture l6. After screwing the adjustment screw inwardly until it abuts the disc 2| positioned in the sleeve seat 11, further movement of the screw will place the desired tension on spring 20. Screw 2'! is then screwed into the aperture until it abuts screw '25 thereby locking the adjusting screw in position.

The installation and operation of the barrel bedding device is very simple. been provided with the hollowed out portion 24, the seat l4 and the vertical opening H, sleeve H) is placed in the vertical opening until flange l3 rests in its seat on the stock. Disc 2! is then inserted into the sleeve followed by the coil spring 20 in which is positioned the V-shapedsaddle 22. The next step is to place the barrel 25 in the saddle and secure the barrel to the stock near the butt end thereof (not shown). The tendency will be for the barrel to compress spring 28. The amount of compression desired will depend on the characteristics of the barrel. To vary the compression it is but necessary to move screw 26 vertically. Upon reaching the desired compression the locking screw 21 is moved into contact with screw 26 and the adjustment is secure. The dust cap 18 is utilized to prevent dust from entering aperture l6 and the opening H.

The modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 3-is adapted to be used with the type of rifle provided with a sling. t will be seen by a careful analog that the sleeve, coil spring, V- shaped saddle and the screw adjusting and locking means are the same in both the preferred and modified forms of the invention and have been 'so designated in the figures. In the modified form, however, the reduced end portion of sleeve lll, illustrated as I, is not furnished with screw threads. Neither is an internally threaded dust cap of the preferred form of the invention included. Instead a dust cap 30 is utilized and is provided at one end thereof with a sleeve-like portion which is adapted to receive the reduced end portion l5 of sleeve H3. The other end portion of the dust cap is tapered downwardly and inwardly as at 32. Near the end of this latter 'end portion a transversely extending aperture 33 is provided which is designed to slidably receive the free end portions of a swivel eye 34. A second aperture 35 is provided centrally of the cap and is perpendicular to aperture 33. When sleeve I'll is mounted on reduced end portion l5, aperture 35 is in direct alignment with aperture It in sleeve [0. A threaded bolt 36, provided with a headed end portion 31, is insertable in aperture 35 and threadingly received by aperture I6 until the bolt abuts locking screw 21, thereby .swivally mounting the cap in position. It is to be noted that a space is provided between the free ends of swivel eye 34 in order that bolt 36 may pass therebetween and maintain the eye in a centralized position. The operation of this modified form of the invention is identical with that of the preferred form as far as support of thebarrel is concerned.

From the foregoing detailed description it will be readily apparent that I have provided a barrel bedding device which eliminates any extreme variation in pressure on the barrel and consequently promotes greater accuracy. Any warping or swelling of the wooden stock is substantial- 1y absorbed by the coil spring which operates the forward end of the stock and barrel. If the stock After stock l2 has.

warps to any great degree the tension of the spring will be affected to a greater extent. In this instance it is but necessary to change the position of the adjusting screw until the desired tension is reached. A further advantage which is inherent in my present invention lies in the vibration dampening eifect of the spring. After firing the spring always returns the barrel to its normal position and the tension in the spring remains the same.

While a preferred form of the invention has been shown and described and the materials making up the various parts has been recited, it will be understood that variation in details of form and materials may be made without departure from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a rifle including a stock having a barrel mounted thereon and provided with an aperture near one end thereof, a barrel bedding device comprising a sleeve provided at one end thereof with a peripheral flange adapted to rest on the stock adjacent the upper end of said aperture, a spring means positioned in said sleeve having one end thereof extending outwardly beyond the flanged end and the other end resting against a disc in the sleeve, a barrel receiving saddle supported by said spring, said sleeve having at the other end thereof a reduced portion provided with a concentric threaded aperture, adjusting screw means threadingly'received by the last- ,named aperture for contacting the disc in said sleeve and varying the tension of the spring, and dust cap means mounted on the said reduced end portion.

2. In a rifle including a stock having a barrel mounted thereon and provided with an aperture near one end thereof, a barrel bedding device comprising a sleeve provided at one end thereof with a peripheral flange adapted to rest on the stock adjacent the upper end of said aperture. a spring means positioned in said sleeve having one end thereof extending outwardly beyond the flanged end and the other end resting against 'adisc in the sleeve, a barrel receiving saddle supported by said spring, said sleeve having at the other end thereof a reduced portion provided with a concentric threaded aperture, adjusting screw means threadingly received by the lastnamed aperture for contacting the disc in said sleeve and varying the tension of the spring, and a dust cap swivelly mounted on the said reduced end portion.

3. A barrel bedding device adapted to be mounted on the forward end of a rifle stock comprising a sleeve having a flange on one end thereof adapted to rest on the stock, a coil spring positioned in the sleeve supporting a barrel receiving'saddle, one end of said spring resting on a adjusting screw in a desired position, and a swivelly mounted dust cap secured to the said recessed portion.

4. .A barrel bedding device adapted to be mounted on the forward end of a rifle stock comprising a sleeve having a flange on one .end thereof adapted to rest on the stock, a coil spring positioned in the sleeve supporting a barrel receiving saddle, one end of said spring resting on a disc positioned in the sleeve, a recessed end portion on the other end of the sleeve provided with a threaded aperture therein, an adjusting screw received by said aperture and contacting said disc for varying the spring tension, a looking screw received by said aperture adapted to secure the adjusting screw in a desired position, and means mounting a swivel eye on the recessed end portion, said means comprising a dust cap having at one end thereof a sleeve-like portion adapted to receive the said reduced end portion, the other end portion thereof tapering inwardly and downwardly and provided with an aperture in alignment with the first-named aperture and adapted to receive a screw means therein for attachment to the sleeve, and a third-named aperture in the tapered portion extending perpendicular to the second-named aperture and positioned near the free end of the tapered por- LEON S. WELD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,661,949 Krenek Mar. 6, 1928 1,994,489 Simpson Mar. 19, 1935 2,116,618 Crockett May 10, 1938 2,205,982 Klipsch June 25, 1940 2,241,825 Page May 13, 1941 2,372,568 Grigg Mar. 27, 1945 2,479,594 Yasho Aug. 23, 1949 

